I come from Peru, a country with a vast history and cultural wealth, which has been the cradle of civilization in our America, and whose leadership I assumed with firmness and courage on 7 December 2022. facing a coup d’etat in the midst of a political and social crisis that we have been able to overcome within the framework of our Constitution.
Today, as I have the honour of being the first constitutional female President of the Republic in the 201 years of its existence, and of leading my country’s delegation to the General Assembly. I am grateful for the recognition of the international community. Peru is once again on the world stage alongside the people of the world.
I am a provincial woman, a Quechua speaker born in the heights of the southern Peruvian Andes, and I lead a Government that, within the framework of the law and in the face of difficult challenges, both from nature and on the international stage, has restored stability and hope to a country that seeks economic development with social justice.
First of all. this message serves to pay well-deserved tribute to women, girls and adolescents, especially Peruvian women. As we say in Quechua. Amana warmi maqay kachunchu. I tell the world: No more violence against women.
Peru is a country that respects democracy, the rule of law. human rights and international law. That is why it actively promotes Latin American integration and is firmly committed to cooperation among countries. Peru promotes peace, and to achieve that peace it is necessary to apply the Charter of the United Nations in all circumstances. For that reason, we reaffirm and defend the principle of respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of all States.
As a daughter of the southern Andean region of my country. I have known first-hand the suffering caused by poverty. Therefore. I am fully aware that, as we reaffirmed in the political declaration we adopted yesterday.
“eradicating poverty. . . is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development” (A/HLPF/2023/L.1, para. 3).
That is the main objective of my Government, and that is why we are committed to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Today in this forum. I want to reaffirm Peru’s voice so that the international community gives the highest priority to eradicating poverty. It is a commitment that we cannot and must not abandon. In Peru, we are adopting policies to confront not only monetary poverty but also multidimensional poverty, promoting, among other important actions, access to drinking water and basic sanitation. In nine months of management, we have unblocked more than 100 paralysed projects, which will provide water to the sisters and brothers of my country. The crises caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, climate change, growing geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts and increased food prices are overwhelming our people and have stymied our potential for growth and development.
If those trends continue, as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tells us. almost 600 million people will continue to live in extreme poverty in 2030. and only a third of countries will reach the goal of halving their national poverty levels. We cannot accept that scenario. The time has come — either we progress together, or we condemn ourselves as a whole. United, everything; disunited, we all lose.
That brings us to a next challenge. Our development agenda has the motto Man an pitapas qipapi saqispa. which in our Quechua means “leaving no one behind”. However, today millions of human beings move, sometimes literally, carrying their families and their scant belongings, in search of well-being or simply survival, in the face of conflict, unemployment and extreme poverty. The current situation of human mobility requires bilateral, regional and multilateral
cooperation. In that regard. Peru has been making enormous efforts, but it will be only through international cooperation that we will be able to achieve safe, orderly and regular migration.
Health has already shown us that it is a problem not for a mere few. but for everyone. My country was one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, which claimed the lives of more than 200.000 compatriots and revealed the gaps and shortcomings of our health system. This year, we have faced resurgences of the dengue, measles and polio epidemics, as well as the outbreak of Guillain-Barre syndrome.
My Government is therefore firmly committed to guaranteeing access to comprehensive health care, free and universal to all. without exception. To achieve that, we are improving the coverage of the national vaccine scheme and reinforcing health infrastructure and equipment. We have been able to vaccinate more than 1.900.000 girls and boys, from the ages of two months to five years, against polio and measles, and we continue tirelessly to unblock hospital projects paralysed by apathy and corruption, which is another scourge besetting my country. In addition, we have made the prevention and treatment of cancer a national objective and twenty of the twenty-six regions of Peru now have at least one oncological service. It is possible to work when the political will is there.
In those areas, international cooperation must ensure quality health goods and services accessible to all. and mainly for developing countries, where the gaps are much wider. In Peru, we observe with concern the growing internationalization of criminal networks fuelled by the corruption of past Governments, which have undermined the credibility of institutions and democracy, affecting the development and well-being of our citizens.
It is therefore urgent to reinforce our joint work. We cannot let our guard down against crime, organized crime and drug trafficking. Those problems affect us all and we must all be part of the solution. Our children and grandchildren are at risk of experiencing the hell that a triple environmental crisis would bring, now that we are entering the era of “global boiling”, as the Secretary-General has called it.
Climate change, the loss of biodiversity and pollution are putting our very existence as humankind at risk. In Peru, we are facing it with a sense of urgency and determination. Early in the year, heavy rains affected northern Peru, which were followed by the onslaught of Cyclone Yaku. In the south, droughts and frosts seriously harmed people, agriculture and livestock, added to recurring anomalous waves in the Pacific, which hinder the regular operations of our fishing ports. Finally, we have the growing threat of the coastal El Nino phenomenon, which will be followed by the impact of the global El Nino. An action approach with preventive measures is urgently needed. Therefore, from this high rostrum. I call for solidarity and international cooperation. For the first time, an administration in my country has undertaken a major action campaign against global El Nino with an investment of 4 billion soles, equivalent to more than $1 billion. We have also joined the Early Alerts for All initiative, presented by the Secretary-General, so that, by the end of 2027. all the inhabitants of the planet will be protected against meteorological phenomena. That will save many lives.
In addition. I allow myself today to propose a pact, a commitment to cooperation and international action for immediate attention to the impact of meteorological phenomena such as El Nino; a pact based on solidarity, resilience and interdependence. Today it is Peru that has to face El Nino; tomorrow nature may be cruel to another destiny, but in unity, as we always say in my country, we can move forward. Let us make this pact a pact for the world, a pact for life!
Developing countries have made progress in reducing carbon emissions, but we continue to be the most affected by climate disasters. Last month, the eight Amazonian countries held a presidential summit, at which we agreed on measures for the conservation and sustainable use of the Amazon, the fight against deforestation and urgent action to avoid the point of no return. There. Peru presented its vision of the Amazon with a human face — “with a human face” because the Amazon, which constitutes 61 per cent of Peru’s surface, is not a sanctuary occupied solely by nature. It is home to almost 5 million Peruvians.
It is still possible to limit the increase in global temperature to within 1.5°C. as we proposed in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, but strong actions will be necessary. That will require developed countries not only to adopt more ambitious emissions reduction goals, but also to honour their commitments in technology transfer and climate financing. Today more than ever, it is urgent to mobilize the $100 billion annually that have been committed to climate action
in developing countries, as well as to establish the loss and damage fund agreed upon at the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Here at United Nations Headquarters. I wish to report that the Peruvian presidency has already delivered a draft agreement aimed at protecting the marine environment against plastic pollution.
In my country. 48 indigenous languages are spoken, and more than 6 million citizens identify themselves as members of one of the indigenous or native peoples of Peru, and more than 800.000 as Afro- Peruvians. Promoting the full exercise of their rights is a challenge that we share with many countries, and our essential task is to continue seeking their inclusion and well-being, providing them with quality services and promoting respect for their rights, their cultures and their languages.
On the verge of commemorating the bicentennial of our consolidation as an independent Republic. Peru renews its commitment to continuing to contribute to peace, international development and care for the environment. We have done so during our presidency of the Andean Community, we are doing so in the Pacific Alliance, and we will continue to do so next year as President of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum. We remain firm in our process of accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and in our participation in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, and we have begun our approach to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations with a view to being partners in development.
I therefore reiterate my invitation to all countries and their economies to continue investing and trusting in Peru. Peru is a country of hope. In my country, we await partners with clear and transparent rules of the game, with stability and legal security, with low inflation, with solid international reserves and with the sole objective of working for the sustained growth of all. but especially of the most vulnerable.
The Government of Peru, faithful to its commitment to the United Nations linked to its republican tradition, joins with determination and firmness the global purpose to consolidate the global fight against climate change and to defend peace, democracy, unrestricted respect for human rights, international law. sustainable development and the prosperity to which our peoples aspire, as it is based on justice.
Kuska Uancasum, huk sonccollay, huk umalla, huk miinaylla, which means. “Let us work together, with one heart, one thought and one desire”.